Behind the scenes, to front and centre, women have always played a critical role in farming and in the agriculture industry. In this episode of Mind Your Farm Business, host Shaun Haney speaks with three women from unique backgrounds and stages of their careers, to talk about their perspective on the challenges and opportunities that… Read More
Trust is the basic building block of all relationships. You can’t have accountability, commitment, or constructive conflict without first having trust. A lack of trust or a breach of it is a business risk, but how do we first measure, then manage that risk? Trust, like the word strategy, is thrown around largely as a… Read More
It seemed like a rare opportunity to bring agriculture to the fore when, in 2014, the United Nations’ General Assembly declared it to be the International Year of Family Farming. At the time, it said the declaration was to “raise the profile of family farming and smallholder farming by focusing world attention on its significant role in eradicating hunger… Read More
The Ag Women’s Network (AWN) has announced that Farm Credit Canada (FCC) will fund this year’s mentorship program for Ontario women in agriculture. “A mentorship is a valuable tool for leadership development, and we are proud to offer the mentorship program for a second year. Our team has taken feedback from industry and last year’s… Read More
If you talk about big picture stuff at the very face-to-face kitchen table, your family is far more likely to successfully navigate the farm transition from one generation to the next. Dr. Tom Deans, author and intergenerational wealth expert, says that when business owners (looking at you, farmers!) visit the topic early and often with… Read More
As we see more autonomy and robots on the farm in the future, will that minimize or reduce the impact of the benefits of being a farm kid? Does it change it? There’s an element of the physical aspect of doing some of the work, which creates some of the long-term character, like picking rocks,… Read More
Farm Management Canada (FMC) is about to start a national study of the connection between mental health and farm business management, but they need industry help. They’re requesting those in agriculture, business management, or the mental health field to submit expressions of interest to be involved in the study which is planned to start April… Read More
Talking about transitioning the farm business can be tricky, especially when there’s a bit of an age gap. The Goods know all too well what that’s like, as Merle, owner of GRS Consulting, has been in the process of transitioning his own farm to his daughter Annessa. They’re also working on Annessa stepping up to take… Read More
An organic beef ranch near Gainesville, Florida, is at the centre of a $520 million lawsuit between a father and daughter. Frank Stronach, Canadian billionaire and founder of Magna International, is suing his daughter, former Member of Parliament Belinda Stronach over a number of things, but most notably the misuse of funds and purposely underfunding… Read More
Capital assets don’t buy groceries. If this statement makes you scratch your head a little, you’re likely the older generation on the farm. If you read it and think, “Don’t I know it” you might be the in-coming generation, and very likely frustrated by the lack of clarity on how the farm’s equity and income… Read More
It’s rare that farmers get as excited about business management professional development opportunities as they do about the latest equipment reveal or new crop variety. But Farm Management Canada is working to change that with its fifth annual Agricultural Excellence Conference. Slated this year for November 26th to 28th, at Winnipeg, Man., executive director Heather Watson… Read More
Talking with your family about farm succession needs to happen sooner rather than later, emphasizes Darrell Wade, president and founder of FarmLife Financial. Wade’s key message at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference in London, Ont., was to start the succession conversation early. As he explains in the video below, his family didn’t, and when a… Read More
Believe it or not, the farm transition can actually be a joyful journey. But that can only happen once three things are established: Is the business going to continue? When would you like it to continue? (starting now, or with a reading of the will) Who will lead the business in the next phase? That’s… Read More
The agricultural industry is changing very quickly on many fronts. Whether it is risk management, human resources, or the latest in technology, farming is becoming more complex all of the time. With all the rapid change around us the one thing that seems to be consistent is the role that family plays in making up… Read More
“Fair” must be one of the most commonly used words in the English language. It most certainly is one of the most dangerous. It gets used and thrown around with reckless abandon every day. Don’t believe me? Here’s are some examples: Farm succession: “Let’s make sure we split up the farm so it’s fair for… Read More
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